Association for Behavior Analysis International

With increased prevalence of autism combined with its core complex behavioral characteristics (DSM-V), practitioners are more likely to work on interdisciplinary teams to address these challenges (Brodhead, 2015). One effective component that leads to better health and educational client outcome is Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPEC) (WHO, 2016). The WHO presents a framework for action based on four core competency domains to be adopted by health and education systems to improve health outcome. Benefits to collaboration include skill building, shared responsibility in client outcome, brainstorming activities with shared roles and responsibilities, adoption of discipline-specific skills, designing comprehensive interventions that maximize client outcome (Cox, 2012), improved fidelity (Kelly and Tincani, 2013), increased understanding and mutual respect of each profession's value offerings, and building partnerships (Brodhead 2015). Challenges to collaboration include disagreements to treatment selection and plan, the type of skill expertise required, theoretical and cultural differences. Obstacles to collaboration may have negative effects on client progress and may lead to delayed treatment implementation and hence client access to effective treatment. This panel facilitates discussions regarding challenges to collaboration from a cultural international perspective and provides suggestions for effectively resolving these conflicts to improve health and education client outcome.

All professional disciplines and providers, and educators, at all levels, involved in service delivery for ASD, and parents.

Provider agencies are charged with designing, implementing and evaluating staff training programs to meet the unique needs of individuals with autism. The field of service provision for individuals with autism is rapidly changing in New York State, especially with adult services. There is an urgent need for the existing work force to increase their skills and competencies as it pertains to the provision of quality services to individuals with autism and their families. Evidence based strategies for improving staff satisfaction and performance through training, feedback and reinforcement will be described. In addition to a work force of skilled front line staff, retaining quality leadership is also a critical variable in maintaining excellence as providers of applied behavior analytic services. This panel will outline and describe a variety of obstacles and resources for the management, training and supervision of all staff from the direct support level through director and executive level. Creating an enjoyable work environment will be a theme throughout the panel presentation.

Target audience of BCBA and Clinical Supervisors

Dr. Peter Killeen is professor emeritus at Arizona State University. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Texas, Cambridge University, and the Centre for Advanced Study, Oslo. He is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists, a Senior Scientist Awardee from NIMH, a president of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior (from which he received the Poetry in Science Award), held the APA’s F. J. McGuigan Lectureship on Understanding the Human Mind (!), and received the Ernest and Josephine Hilgard Award for the Best Theoretical Paper on hypnosis (!!). Dr. Killeen has made many innovative and fundamental contributions to the experimental and quantitative analysis of behavior. His major work includes the development of incentive theory, culminating in the mathematical principles of reinforcement (MPR; Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1994), the behavioral theory of timing (BeT: Psychological Review, 1988), and a new theory of ADHD (Curr Dir Psyc Sci, 2016). He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed papers, most of which have been cited; a few ignored; a couple cursed. He has served on the boards of editors of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioural Processes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Psychological Review, Brain & Behavioral Functions, and Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews. Dr. Killeen's quantitative and conceptual developments have enriched behavior analysis and the world beyond.

We shall hold this conference in a country that regularly celebrates noble achievements—recognizing them every year with Prizes to individuals in diverse fields who have “conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”. The first year’s laureates included William Röntgen, the discoverer of x-rays; Emil von Behring, developer of an anti-toxin for the deadly disease of diphtheria; and Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross Movement and Geneva Convention. None of the ensuing benefits would have materialized if each of these men had not had aspirations and focused their energies on achieving them. What are our aspirations, fellow behavior analysts? How do we marshal our energies? How do we make progress toward achieving them? Each of these laureates provide a model for different kinds of aspiration. Röntgen, the basic scientist, was studying very different phenomena when he made his life-saving discovery. von Behring, the applied scientist, was persistently focused on the problem of one deadly disease. Dunant, the social activist, had a vision of a world of nurturance, peace, and brotherhood. These kinds of themes are not only present in, but proclaimed by the Association for Behavior Analysis International, whose mission is to “contribute to the well-being of society” through basic, translational, and applied research, and practice. I shall draw out examples of such visions relevant to this audience, and shall ask the audience to help me formulate others. I shall describe behaviors that will help to nurture them. It is my goal in this opening lecture that you all leave here with one or more well-articulated aspirations, or the seeds of them; aspirations that prime your attention to the information and interactions in this conference, where you may continue to develop them, and carry them back in your workplace to inform your life’s work.

All conference attendees.

Eva Bertilsson has a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a passion for all things related to behavior, learning and animal welfare. Together with business partner Emelie Johnson Vegh, Eva runs their collaboration Carpe Momentum, teaching seminars on the general principles of behavior and learning, and coaching trainers in the art of structuring great training sessions regardless of the venue or the species. Eva is a board member of the Swedish Association for Behavior Analysis, a faculty member of Clicker Expo, and an enthusiastic disseminator of ethical practices based in behavioral science. In addition to her own teaching, she has also been instrumental in introducing TAGteach™ and Fear Free to the Scandinavian audience.

Animal welfare is a growing concern in our society, and the principles and procedures from applied behavior analysis are widely used by animal caretakers in their effort to deliver the best possible care. Service providers in the animal care sector are continually evolving their procedures and protocols, with a growing focus on enhancing the non-human individual’s control over its situation. We cannot gain informed consent in its true sense from our animal participants, but we can strive in that direction. Strategies using response contingent stimulus presentation (sometimes referred to as “start button behaviors”) are one example of this effort, allowing the animal to direct the pace and progress of the procedure. This presentation provides variety of examples where response contingent stimulus presentation has been used in settings as diverse as service dog training, noise desensitization and cooperative veterinary care. Training protocols are described, and foundations are provided for further reflections and scientific inquiries.

Practitioners working with individuals in a dependent situation (both humans and non-humans).

Early intensive behavioral interventions are considered the intervention of choice for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. However, in many instances constraints prevent individuals from receiving intensive behavioral treatments and low-intensity interventions are provided instead. In this symposium, the authors will present outcome of low-intensity behavioral interventions across different sites using a variety of assessment tools, including the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), IQ scores, and other related measures. The reliability of the VB-MAPP is discussed and it is evaluated as an outcome measure.

Practitioners and policy-makers who provide ABA interventions or prescribe interventions for autism.

We evaluated outcome of early behavioral intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as it was provided through public service providers in Norway. One group of children received low intensity intervention (11.1 weekly hours), a second group higher intensity intervention (18.1 weekly hours), and a third group received eclectic special education. We compared outcomes on adaptive behavior, ASD severity and intellectual functioning across the groups after one year. Although, both the lower and higher intensity behavioral intervention groups received less hours than what is recommended in the literature, both groups did significantly better than the eclectic comparison group. Furthermore, the higher intensity behavioral group did better than the lower intensity behavioral group. Confirming a dose-response relationship between intensity and gains made. Nevertheless, gains in both behavioral groups were more modest than what is reported for intervention that is more intensive. We discuss the pros and cons of the publicly funded behavioral intervention model.

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of ABA therapy for individuals with autism, relatively little research has focused on the characteristics and behaviors that distinguish exemplary client-therapist interactions. This symposium summarizes research to identify and train qualities and corresponding behaviors of effective ABA practitioners: (1) A survey of BCBAs ranked therapist characteristics and qualities, resulting in the development of the Exemplary Behavior Analyst Checklist (EBAC) of 35 essential traits. In a follow-up survey, BCBAs rated the extent to which exemplary practitioners demonstrated each trait, and ranked their Top 10 qualities in order of perceived importance. (2) Characteristics of ABA therapists within the concept of Behavioral Artistry (BA) (a repertoire of interpersonal behaviors including care, attentiveness, and creativity) were investigated. Parents surveyed significantly preferred BA traits. ABA students were determined to have lower levels of BA compared to other helping professions, and autism therapists with lower levels of BA qualities were observed to deliver ABA less effectively. (3) Therapist social interactions were conditioned using an operant discrimination training (ODT) procedure. Sequential analysis of social interactions and positive social responses suggest that client/therapist positive responding to each other’s social initiations increased following ODT. Implications for training and supervising effective ABA practitioners are addressed.

The target audience for this symposium is behavior analysts currently engaged in delivering therapeutic services and supervising other behavior analysts/staff, as well as researchers and clinical administrators.

Deisy de Souza is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil. She obtained her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at University of São Paulo (USP, 1981), and she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (1984-1985), at Charlie Catania's lab. She has conducted research on basic behavioral processes such as choice behavior, avoidance of aversive events, and stimulus control, and participated in pioneering studies applying the stimulus equivalence paradigm to investigate the acquisition of symbolic functions by auditory stimuli in users of cochlear implants. Over the past 30 years de Souza has also participated in the efforts of a research team investigating the acquisition of symbolic relations, developing equivalence-based instruction (EBI) to teach reading and writing skills, and disseminating computerized individualized teaching programs for individuals that benefit little from regular schools (children with protracted histories of school failure, children with intellectual disabilities, illiterate adults, etc.). The use of these programs by public schools gradually grew in scale, reaching progressively larger samples of learners. She is a Fellow of ABAI and a member of the Editorial Board of JEAB.

This presentation will focus on the results of the joint efforts of a research team in developing instructional procedures, derived from behaviorally oriented basic research, for teaching rudimentary reading and writing skills. Curriculum development was based on the concepts of verbal operants (B. F. Skinner), on the stimulus equivalence paradigm (Murray Sidman), and on the principles of the Personalized System of Instruction (Fred Keller). The procedures and contents were organized in a comprehensive curriculum, currently available online for use in school and therapeutic settings. The research program to validate the curriculum involved basic science to elucidate key, behavioral processes; translational science to study these processes under controlled laboratory conditions; and applied studies in the classroom to verify whether the findings of the translational program would be sustained in less controlled conditions. The delivery of the curriculum through public schools gradually grew in scale, reaching progressively larger samples of learners. Current investigations focus on the logistics to transfer the management of the teaching tools to the school system.

Board certified behavior analysts; graduate students; licensed psychologists.

ABA principles, procedures and ethical standards are directly relevant to improving the welfare of zoo animals. A basic internet course was developed to improve ABA knowledge and skills of zoo keepers, veterinarians, and other animal professionals. In this presentation, the course and three case-studies of ABA interventions implemented by zoo keepers, will be briefly described: reducing self-injury with an elephant, increasing time in the visitor viewing area with a rhinoceros, and replacing rough handling of a baby orangutan by a surrogate orangutan mother.

Applied behavior analysts interested in the application of basic principles and procedures to the zoo setting.

Many applied behavioral interventions are concerned with affecting the choices (i.e., response allocation) of clients. For example, when a behavior analyst treats severe problem behavior, the goal is often conceptualized as decreasing problem behavior choices (e.g., aggression) while increasing choices to engage in appropriate alternatives (e.g., communication). Likewise, an interventionist working with adults on health-related goals may be interested in promoting more time engaged in physical activity. The first presentation in this symposium will present data from a series of human-operant studies demonstrating the effects of variables (e.g., differential reinforcement parameters) on response allocation and will discuss the implications of these basic findings for arrangements in applied settings. The second presentation will provide a systematic review of the choice-based intervention literature from the last 15 years and show clinical data to demonstrate the effects of concurrent-operant arrangements for treating challenging behavior. The third presentation will present a study investigating contingency management and noncontingent reinforcement on adults' allocation of time to physical activity. Together, these talks will show the benefits of bidirectional translational research on the use of concurrent-operant arrangements to help understand and refine choice-based interventions for socially significant problems.

The target audience for this symposium is behavior analysts who are researchers or practitioners and are interested in using concurrent-operant choice interventions in applied settings.

Five years ago, Hanley and colleagues (2014) introduced the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) and the accompanying skill-based treatment (SBT) process as a means to improve the efficiency, safety, and social validity of the functional assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior. Since then, a number of applications of IISCA and SBT have been published as demonstrations of a practical functional assessment process. This symposium includes a review of the literature in which state-of-the-art methods for evaluating single case research were applied to evaluate the evidence base for IISCA and SBT for reducing problem behavior and supporting skill acquisition. The symposium also includes two consecutive case series in which the efficacy of variations on the IISCA and SBT approach were evaluated. Specifically, the focus of one case series was an application of the IISCA in which 3-minute sessions were used and total analysis time to inform treatment was as little as 15 minutes. In the second case series, experimenters evaluated the efficacy of SBT in the absence of physical intervention and in the context of an enhanced choice model intended to mitigate the collateral effects of extinction.

Researchers, practicing behavior analysts and graduate students

Functional analyses (FAs) are frequently being used in treatment of problem behavior. Thus, there is a need to review whether FAs represent an evidence-based practice and should be recommended. We performed a systematic review of a special application of FA, the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) resulting with Functional Communication Training and Tolerance Training (FCT-TT). A systematic search strategy was performed in relevant data bases for those peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2018 in English or a Scandinavian language, employing a single-case experimental design in which treatment was a combination of IISCA and FCT-TT, the dependent variable was problem behavior, and a line-graph showing results was included. Studies were appraised and results were synthesized through the following methods: Descriptives, methodological quality and evidence base, were assessed. The synthesis included extracting the BC-SMC effect size (equal to Cohen’s d), and Meta-Analysis yielding a combined effect size and forest plot. The methodological quality was low across studies, so IISCA/FCT-TT cannot yet be regarded as an evidence-based practice. The combined ES was -2.82 (95 % CI: -6.98–1.34), (PI: -10.16–4.52). The results were quite heterogenous (I2 = .95), leaving the meta-analysis results largely uninterpretable.

Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) uses synthesized contingencies to teach alternative responses that will compete with problem behavior (Hanley et al., 2014). When manual guidance is prohibited, unsafe, or non-preferred by caregivers, the Enhanced Choice Model of SBT (ECM-SBT; Rajaraman et al., 2018) may be employed to mitigate collateral effects of extinction. Within ECM-SBT, trained responses (e.g., functional communicative responses [FCR]) and two additional alternatives to problem behavior operate concurrently. These two alternatives include (a) entering a ‘hangout’ area, in which evocative conditions are suspended and the client may access all preferred items and activities as well as low-quality attention from the therapist and (b) leaving the session entirely. We replicated ECM-SBT procedures with three elementary students in a public special day school for children who engage in severe and persistent problem behavior, in which manual guidance by non-district personnel was prohibited. We present procedures, including methodological deviations from the Rajaraman study, results of Interview-informed Synthesized Contingency Analyses, SBT, and generalization protocols, as well as client response allocation among alternatives within the ECM-SBT model.

In the first paper, Arntzen and Bevolden Rustad present an experiment which aimed to study the correspondence between the results on the matching-to-sample test and the sorting test. Twenty-one participants were taught 12 conditional discriminations and tested for the emergence of three 5-member classes. The degree of correspondence in responding on the two types of test formats supports the notion about the usefulness of sorting tests. In second paper, Dunvoll, Arntzen, Elvsåshagen, Hatlestad-Hall, and Malt argue that unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation (N400 ERP). Five adults with high functioning autism were trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The results show a small negativity in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. Finally, Aggio, Rezende, Sbrocco, and de Rose argue that the N400 is observed after presentation of two abstract stimuli from different equivalence classes. The authors ask if this effect would be replicated with arbitrary equivalent stimuli in elderly participants. The main findings show that participants had reduced amplitude and longer latency of N400.

students and researchers

One of the problems often described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder is the lack of ability to generalize skills from one setting to another. One way to measure generalization is through equivalence class formation, training directly trained relations, and testing for emergent relations. Also, N400, a measure with electroencephalography (EEG) where related and unrelated stimulus pairs are tested can be used. Unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation. In the current experiment, five adults with high functioning autism participated. They were all trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The rest of the possible emergent relations were tested in a priming procedure including EEG measurements. At the end, a full MTS test was conducted. The results show a small negativity (insignificant) in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. On the other hand, when looking closer at the individual data there are differences between the participants. This might indicate that ASD should be considered a heterogeneous group with respect to the EEG measures.

Play is an integral part of a child’s typical development and should be an emphasis in early intervention for children diagnosed with autism (Lifter & Bloom, 1989). The use of behavioral interventions can lead to significant increases in play skills (Stahmer, 1995) while simultaneously decreasing inappropriate behaviors including self-stimulatory behaviors (Sani-Bozkurt & Ozen, 2015). The Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum (PPLAC) is a developmentally-sequenced, behaviorally- based tool designed to establish and expand pretend play in children, ages 2-7. The 5 elements of pretend play (category, agent, object, advanced, and the essential skills to sociodramatic play) are systematically targeted to teach independent and sociodramatic pretend play to children with autism. The studies in this symposium evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing the PPLAC to teach pretend play. The first study analyzes Stage 1: Single Agent to teach children with autism single play actions and vocalizations across 19 different targets. The second study examines Stage 2: Chaining Play to teach a sequence of play actions and corresponding vocalizations to children with autism across 24 different targets. The targets in Stage 1 and Stage 2 are designed to move a child through the progression of play by introducing and expanding on the 5 elements of pretend play.

BCBA, BCaBA

Play in children with autism is often referred to as stereotypical and lacking in symbolic qualities and flexibility (Lifter, Sulzer-Azaroff, Anderson, & Cowdery, 1993). When utilizing behavioral interventions children with autism are capable of the same level of symbolic play as typically developing children (Charman & Baron-Cohen, 1997). Lifter (2011) emphasized the importance of a developmental sequence of play paired with behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to utilize the developmental sequence of play to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching a series of 8 components encompassing the second developmental stage of play, chaining play. Least-to-most prompting was used to teach a chain of 3 play actions and vocalizations to 3 children diagnosed with autism, ages 3-5. All 3 children were taught each chain of play actions across agent of play: self as agent, passive figure, and active figure. Advanced play was targeted in the form of rotating and combining play schemes both independently and with peers. Lastly, the essential skills to sociodramatic play, initiating, responding, and expanding were targeted through the sequence. A multiple baseline across participants was conducted. The outcome of this study demonstrated the efficacy of the 8 teaching components as steps to teach all 4 children a chain of play actions with corresponding vocalizations across all 5 elements of pretend play.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has been spreading throughout the world over the last few decades. There has been a steady rise in access to ABA coursework, people pursuing certification in the field of ABA, and the availability of ABA services for those in need. However, these overall increases are not without challenges. In regions of the world where ABA is still relatively young, the establishment of behavioral services has often meant unsupported growth. Pioneering practitioners have been met with struggles in promoting the value of ABA, developing a local peer-group in the science, finding professionals for collaboration, and addressing the overwhelming demand of families in need. The Czech Republic and Australia, although on different sides of the globe, have both met with such growing pains. Despite drastically different locations, histories, and cultures, practitioners in both regions have shared experiences with the hardships of ABA practice and dissemination. In this panel we will discuss the barriers that have been faced when working to expand ABA, the measures that have been taken to overcome them, and how the culture of behavior analysis can sometimes bridge worldwide gaps.

Practitioners looking to disseminate behavior analysis in emerging regions.

Dr. Dermot Barnes-Holmes graduated from the University of Ulster in 1985 with a B.Sc. in Psychology and in 1990 with a D.Phil. in behavior analysis. His first tenured position was in the Department of Applied Psychology at University College Cork, where he founded and led the Behavior Analysis and Cognitive Science unit. In 1999 he accepted the foundation professorship in psychology and head-of-department position at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. In 2015 he accepted a life-time senior professorship at Ghent University in Belgium. Dr. Barnes-Holmes is known internationally for the analysis of human language and cognition through the development of Relational Frame Theory with Steven C. Hayes, and its application in various psychological settings. He was the world's most prolific author in the experimental analysis of human behavior between the years 1980 and 1999. He was awarded the Don Hake Translational Research Award in 2012 by the American Psychological Association, is a past president and fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, is a recipient of the Quad-L Lecture Award from the University of New Mexico and most recently became an Odysseus laureate of the Flemish Science Foundation and a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.

Applied behavior analysts with an interest in human language and cognition.

Designing effective human service and education systems and organizational models with essential features that are clearly defined, consistently implemented, and result in positive outcomes so that the model can be effectively disseminated has been a challenge in the field. Creating a system of interlocking behavioral contingencies aligned with organizational goals that produce positive outcomes is the approach used by behavior analysts consistent with organization behavior management (OBM) (Glenn & Malott, 2004). This symposium will present: 1) a description of the behavioral model of intervention for individuals with ASD developed by McClannahan and Krantz (1993) that includes a system for training staff, monitoring learner progress, and incorporating feedback from colleagues, parents, and community stakeholders in a yoked accountability system that has been implemented in multiple sites in the USA; 2) the dissemination of this model as the Institute for Child Development (IWRD) in Gdansk, Poland and then to other sites in Poland; and 3) dissemination of the model to other countries in Europe. Data demonstrating that the implementation and effectiveness of the model is maintained across programs will be presented. Effective systems that consistently benefit learners with autism and their families are a priority for use by behavior analysts.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts who are working in with individuals with disabilities in education or human service settings. The content is particularly relevant for program directors or staff supervisors.

The critical features of a model based on the principles of behavior analysis developed by McClannahan and Krantz with a focus on the education and training for individuals with autism will be presented. This yoked, or interlocking system, of training and intervention has resulted in consistent progress for individuals with autism maintained for years of intervention, and across programs implemented at multiple sites in the USA. Using data for feedback and decision-making at all levels is a hallmark of this model. Data is collected on learner progress with goals, staff competence with identified skills, including interpersonal communication, and parent and consumer satisfaction. This model incorporates an accountability system that ensures consistent program effectiveness and addresses behavioral drift. Examples of the data collected at all sites using this model will be presented including, graphs of learner progress, summary data that includes inter-observer agreement scores on learner progress with intervention programs, staff training data with inter-observer agreement data from multiple supervisors, and annual evaluation data from colleagues, parents, and consumers.

The Institute for Child Development (IWRD) is the first and the only institution in Poland, which is the member of Alliance for Scientific Autism Intervention (ASAI). All members of ASAI continue to implement the model developed initially by McClannahan and Krantz (1993). The following presentation will describe the process used to implement the effective science-based intervention model not only in Poland but also in other countries in Europe. Details of the staff training approach used in this model will be presented that includes: workshops on the theory, principles and practices of behavior analysis, practical training at IWRD in Poland, systematic supervision in the workplace in another country and staff evaluation. Staff training in this model requires evaluating therapists’ professional skills at the beginning of the training, after internship in our Institute, and also after one year of independent work under our supervision. Sample data from the professional evaluation demonstrating progress in all needed areas will be presented. Our model of training is also evaluated by all stakeholders or consumers and examples of these data also will be presented.

Parents and caregivers play an important role in the success and maintenance of gains achieved with behavioral procedures. Therefore, parents should be actively included and engaged in their child's intervention process. In addition, parents can also be the main agent of change and be trained how to implement behavioral interventions to promote socially relevant changes in their child's behavior. This symposium will explore two clinical applications for behavior change in which parents were the implementers. First, Abigail Kennedy will present a study that evaluated the effects of a parent-implemented deferred time-out procedure (i.e., a hands-free method in which the child learns to independently sit in contingent observation time-out) on the reduction of challenging behavior in four children with typical development. Next, Maegan Pisman will discuss the results of a study that implemented behavioral skills training (BST) with two mother-son dyads to train the parent how to implement behavioral strategies to improve child-parent interaction and to teach mands and tacts to their child who had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Finally, Marie-Hélène Konrad will reflect on the importance of considering families' cultural background while designing and implementing parent training procedures in clinical settings.

Clinicians, practitioners, and master students

Time-out is one of the most widely disseminated and commonly used behavioral interventions for managing problem behavior in early childhood. Although time-out has been shown to be an effective method for reducing children’s problem behavior, time-out resistance is nonetheless prevalent, and has the potential to increase caregivers' use of more intrusive and effortful implementation methods and negatively affect parental adherence. Deferred time-out (DTO) is a hands-free method for training children to sit in contingent observation time-out, and may provide an alternative to put-backs, back-up rooms, and other more restrictive methods that have been used to enforce the time-out location. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of DTO implemented by trained caregivers on time-out resistance. Participants were four children and their caregivers. DTO reduced the latency to comply with the time-out instruction and the duration of time-out trials for three of four participants. Additionally, overall improvements in initial command compliance were observed for all participants, and caregivers generally found DTO to be an acceptable approach for children’s problem behavior. This research contributes to time-out and parent training literature by increasing our understanding regarding DTO as a method for improving compliance with parents' instructions with contingent observation time-out.

The use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) and positive behavioral interventions in the management of challenging behavior within the school systems, has gained empirical support over the last few decades. FBA is grounded in the discipline of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and it aims to understand the underlying function of behavior to inform behavioral intervention planning. In this symposium, three teams will discuss their process of training educational staff in various FBA and behavioral intervention technologies. The first two papers will address methods that help to guide steps that ABA consultants take when working in public schools. Specifically, Peterson et al. describe a tool for evaluating the classroom environment that can guide whether a consultant should focus on an individual student or on the effective teaching and classroom management. Bassingthwaite et al. will discuss a method of reviewing functional behavior assessments that can guide decisions made related to developing assessment skills in FBA. Finally, Staubitz et al. presents a training model that has helped to improve the assessment practices of educators that they have worked with in Tennessee public schools. Together, these papers will serve to provide guidance for creating systems change in public school settings through evaluation and training.

The event is aimed towards professionals and educators in the field.

Few educators who serve students with disabilities report having adequate training to apply tertiary interventions for students who present with challenging behavior. One difficulty related to pre-service training and professional development on this topic are the idiosyncratic resources and needs at the tertiary level across students, educators, and schools. Funded by a contract with the Tennessee Department of Education, we train 12 school-based teams per year (50 educators annually) through our Intensive Partnership for Behavior Intervention (IPBI) program. Over the course of 5 to 9 months, BCBA consultants deliver training through workshops and online learning platforms, as well as through on-campus and remote assessment, coaching, and consultation sessions. Our BCBAs deliver a customized training program designed to improve each school-based team’s capacity to assess, decision-make, and deliver tertiary-level behavioral interventions. Throughout the program, the BCBA serves as a consultant to the team as they address the school-based team’s self-selected goals, and the needs of 1 to 3 targeted students per school. Data generated over the last two years allows for an analysis of team participant roles and goals, target student profiles, trainee implementation and student behavioral improvement as a product of the specific quantities and types of consultant effort invested.

Bidirectional naming (BiN) developmental research has advanced our understanding about how children come to learn the names of things incidentally from experiences and how this leads to continuous expansion of new controlling stimuli. Interventions are available that allow the instantiation of BiN when children are missing the relevant stimulus control (i.e., children with autism, those raised in dis-enfranchised environments, and second language learners). Several types have been identified including the simultaneous acquisition of: actions, additional sounds, learning under exclusion conditions, and different effects of familiar and nonfamiliar novel visual stimuli. We are leaning how BiN in one language affects: bilingual children’s responses in each language, monolingual children and adult response to tests of BiN in an unfamiliar language, and the role of echoic precision in derived naming in an unfamiliar language. Moreover, the types of BiN that are part of children’s verbal developmental repertoire, at any given point in stimulus control development, determine what can be taught/not taught, what can be learned/not learned from observation, the types of learn unit presentations that are most effective, and the relations between BiN and other relational responding.

Intermediate to advanced.

Best practice in the treatment of problem behavior is for the clinician to begin the process with a functional behavior assessment (FBA) to identify possible variables that are contributing to and maintaining the problem behavior. In this symposium, we will present recent research regarding the use of FBA in the treatment of problem behavior. Stefania Dögg Johannesdottir will discuss an analysis of the agreement between mothers and their children on responses to FBA interviews. Bethany Contreras will present the results of systematic literature review that compared the outcomes for descriptive assessments and experimental functional analyses. Anna-Lind Petursdottir will end the symposium by presenting data from an application of function-based behavior support plans to improving challenging and appropriate behavior of six children in a typical pre-school setting. Each presentation will include a discussion of the implications of the data and considerations for enhancing the success of FBA in the treatment of problem behavior.

Clinicians who use functional behavior assessments.

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) interviews are convenient tools for discussing and identifying influencing factors of behavior problems. Findings from FBAs serve as an important foundation for effective interventions to reduce challenging behaviors of children with severe emotional and behavioral difficulties. Including these children as informants in the process can have important benefits for the FBA and intervention process. The present study compared information gathered from children with persistent behavior problems and their mothers. Participants were six patients at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department of the National University Hospital of Iceland, (4 male and 2 female) with severe emotional and behavioral problems, aged 7 to 13 years, and their mothers. Results showed high agreement between the children and their mothers regarding the definition of target behavior, antecedents and consequences of problem behavior, medium agreement on function of the problem behavior and low agreement on setting events. Participants found the interview to be useful for better understanding the cause and function of the problem behavior. Findings indicate the importance of exploring different views of children and parents of behavior problems and their influencing factors.

Effective early intervention is crucial to reduce persistent behavior problems of preschoolers and improve their engagment and well-being. This study evaluated the effects of function-based behavior support plans (BSPs) on the long-lasting problem behavior and lack of engagement of five children in preschool activities. Participants were five boys, aged three to six years, in public preschools in the capital region of Iceland. One participant had been diagnosed with speech impediment and one was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Single-subject multiple baseline designs across participants showed that function-based BSPs reduced the frequency of disruptive behavior (on average by 95,3%) and increased active participation (on average by 175%). Improvements in behavior and engagement were maintained when token systems were faded. Teacher ratings of participants behavior on the Pre-School Behavior Checklist improved significantly. Also, participants´ self-assessment of their well-being showed that they were feeling much better in different activities in preschool. Semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers and parents revealed high social validity of the procedures. Findings support the effectiveness of function-based behavior support to reduce persistent behavior problems of preschoolers and improve their school adjustment and well-being.

As behavior analysts, working in applied service settings, having the ability to measure efficacy and analyze results is the cornerstone of all behavior analytic interventions. In an effort to improve organizational performance across multiple domain areas of concern to staff and consumers, it is essential to identify, measure and analyze the essential measures of healthy organization performance. Areas of focus for evaluating organizational performance include consumer progress on goals, staff performance management data relative to reduction of work related injuries, reduction in use of physical restraints, and accurate implementation of clinical protocols. Ensuring achieving transparency with an organizations’ board of directors can be achieved by using performance metrics to indicate organizational health. The purpose of the present symposium is to share findings from three service domain areas that have been measured and evaluated for successful outcomes in the delivery of critical services and interventions to consumers and staff. Each presentation will cover measures used and current performance data that demonstrate overall organizational success and performances.

Intermediate learners BCBA's in applied settings who direct or develop service models

This presentation will present data relative to behavioral safety concerns in the areas of application of restraint and staff injuries resulting in workman’s compensation claims and lost work time. Data will demonstrate a successful decrease in restraints and decrease in workman’s compensation claims and lost work time through the application of performance measures, evaluation and intervention strategies to produce safe work behaviors.

This presentation will highlight specific staff performance management systems essential to producing success with consumer’s making progress on goals and benefitting from the clinical interventions identified as needed for effective treatment. Data presented will show the specific performance management procedures used with staff. This data will show successfully staff performance on clinical protocols, identify training and supervision systems essential for staff success and link staff performances to consumer successes in the meeting of goals.

Julian Leslie has been publishing in psychology, behaviour analysis and related fields since 1972, and now has more than 150 publications. He obtained his doctorate from Oxford University in 1974 since when he has been in academic posts in Northern Ireland. he published textbooks in 1979, 1996, 2000, 2002 (the 1996 volume was reprinted until 2008 and remains in print, and the 2002 text also remains in print). As well as teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, he has successfully supervised 48 students who have obtained PhDs in fields including, experimental analysis of behaviour, applied behaviour analysis, psychopharmacology, behavioural neuroscience, experimental psychology, applied psychology. Three recent PhDs are concerned with behavioural strategies to address environmental issues. In 1977 he was co-founder of the group, Behaviour Analysis in Ireland which became a chapter of ABAI. In 2004, the group became the Division of Behaviour Analysis of the Psychological Society of Ireland, and he is currently the Division chair. He organised the Third European Meeting for the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour in Dublin, Ireland 1999, and has co-organised 13 annual conferences of the Division of Behaviour Analysis from 2007 to 2019. He was a keynote speaker at the European Association for Behaviour Analysis in Milan in 2006, and in Crete, Greece in 2010, and was a keynote speaker on behavioural strategies to address environmental issues at the Brazilian Association for Behaviour Analysis, Salvador 2011. From 1984 to 1994 he was head of the Ulster University Psychology Department, and from 2008 to 2015 was head of the Research Graduate School, Faculty of Life & Health Sciences, Ulster University. In 2013, he was a member of an international committee reviewing research in the Systems Biology Centre, University of Skovde, Sweden. In 2014, he was awarded a Doctorate of Science by Ulster University for career research on the experimental analysis of behaviour. From 2014 to 2019, he has given a series of papers on behavioural accounts of consciousness and the metaphysics of behaviour analysis. In 2018, he was made a Fellow of the Association of Behavior Analysis international, and was an invited speaker at the Sixth Sarasota Symposium on Behavior Analysis, an invited international speaker at the ABAI Convention, and an invited speaker at the 30th International Conference of the Spanish Society for Comparative Psychology.

Behavior analysis takes a natural science approach to human and animal behavior. Some basic tenets are widely agreed in the field but, arguably, some other assumptions are implicit in our approach and, if unexamined, may impair progress. Some of these are in the realm of metaphysics, that which is known a priori, and what can be deduced from what is so known. There is a strong Western philosophical tradition of naturalism and realism since the time of David Hume and these principles are embedded in the metaphysics of science and thus have been imported into behavior analysis. However, 20th-century American philosopher, Rorty suggests that these are not necessary truths but conventions of that philosophical tradition. Alternatively, we can adopt metaphysical assumptions that do not entail the familiar problems of dualism. Additionally, we have been constrained by some assumptions made by Skinner about the operant conditioning process which again are not necessary and may need to be discarded. Revising our metaphysical and theoretical assumptions, while retaining core principles which define behavior analysis, may enable us not only to resolve debates about private events, but also to provide accounts of interesting findings on animal cognition which otherwise pose problems for behavior analysis.

All those interested in the conceptual basis of behavior analysis and other sciences.